Don't Go
by Mitsje
Summary: Inspired by YoukaiYume's brilliant artwork. After defeating NAraku, Kagome is forced back into her own time. While searching for a way to return to the past, she comes across a familiar face.
1. Chapter 1

One moment, they were uselessly digging and pounding the ground where the well had been, the next they were thrown back by an invisible force. In swirl of winds and a pillar of light, the well reappeared. Miss Higurashi, Souta and grandpa held their breath as the top of a white haired head became visible over the lip of the well.

Miss Higurashi was the first to spot her daughter in the arms of the half-demon.

"Kagome!," she yelled as she rushed forwards. Her outstretched arms were met by Kagome jumping forward.

"Mama!," she cried, "InuYasha saved me."

As mother and daughter turned to him, still standing on the well, a strange light sprung up from beneath him. Before they got a chance to properly thank him, InuYasha was transported back to his own time with a rumble and a flash.

"NO!" Kagome screamed as she lunged to peer down the well.

Only dirt met her eyes. Desperate, she climbed up on the well and let herself fall forward. Behind her, her family protested, but she didn't care. She had to know if the well still worked. She had to be sure the uneasy feeling in the pit her stomach wasn't telling her what she thought it was. But as she fell, the blue light didn't come up to meet her as she was used to. She didn't feel the pull behind her navel as she always did. Her tears met the bottom of the well before she did. Crashing onto her hands and knees, she let everything out while her family looked down at her worriedly.

Kagome sighed as she stared out the window. Becoming a member of the literary club had not been one of her best choices. She had joined in the hopes of researching old book and texts of lore, searching for a way to reopen the well. It had been a long shot anyway, but now, she was stuck with two classmates who wanted to read only mushy romance stories, preferably written by Jane Austen, and exclaim how much they wanted to be married, and one senpai who secluded herself with a book until it was time to go home.

As her classmates Mitsuko and Saki once more squealed over whatever Mr. Darcy had said, Kagome stood up and excused herself. Ritsu-senpai waved quickly before re-immersing herself in her book. The younger girls did not even notice her leaving.

While riding the train back home, Kagome's eye fell on an advertisement for an exhibition of historic art. It was being held at the library of Tokyo University of the Arts, which would be open to the public for the duration of the exhibition. Quickly changing to the Yamanote line, she sent a text to her mother that she would be home late. As she got off at Ueno station and crossed the park that separated the station from the university buildings, she had to hold herself back from running. It had been almost four months since the well had shut her out, and while she was grateful to be back home, she could not forget her life on the other side.

There were very few people attending the exhibition. Kagome had the opportunity to leisurely stroll past the many paintings, screens and other artworks that had been gathered. Some had come from museums, some from private collections. The exhibition had items ranging from the Heian period through to the modern era, but Kagome was most interested in the Muromachi and Momoyama periods. She entered the area where there periods were represented, disappointed to find only some very well-known works. Looking at the various screens, depicting the daily life, she lost herself in memories of her time in the past. When she turned a corner into the next room, the center piece made her catch her breath.

It was _his_ clothing. The fire rat suikan and hakama were right in front of her, displayed proudly on a stand, behind glass. There was no way to mistake them. She rushed forward to read the plaque. It was from a collection owned by a man named Nishimoto Shigeo. Kagome quickly took a snapshot of the plaque and searched around for an attendant. She ended up having to ask the secretary at the front desk. She was told that Nishimoto would be there next Sunday. Thanking the secretary, she left the library in a daze.

Once at home, she could not keep her discovery from her mother. Miss Higurashi smiled ruefully as her daughter told her what she had found.

"Kagome, dear, I know this is very hard for you, but please do not get your hopes up."

"I know, Mama," Kagome sighed, "But I have to try. I'm not ready to give up."

On Sunday, Kagome arrived at the library half an hour before it opened. There were slightly more people walking around in the park than there had been during the week, but she easily found a bench near the entrance and sat down with a book. Try as she might, though, she could not concentrate on the words in front of her. She got up again and wandered aimlessly around the park until the library opened.

Kagome made a beeline for InuYasha's clothing and kept hovering around nervously. She wondered how she would recognize this person that owned something so close to her heart. When twenty minutes passed, and no one but her had entered the room, she went back to the front desk to ask whether Nishimoto Shigeo had arrived already. The secretary answered that he was expected to arrive any moment now, and that she would tell him that someone wanted to speak with him. Kagome thanked her and went back to the room that held her only link to the past.

Another ten minutes passed, and Kagome had begun to drift away on memories, when someone behind her cleared his throat. She spun around and found herself face to face with a tall man. He was taller than her by at least a foot. His hair was black and fell halfway past his ears. He wore rectangular glasses, an impeccable dark grey suit with a black tie and a slight scowl upon his face.

"I was told you wanted to speak with me," he said. His voice was deep and Kagome thought she might have heard it somewhere before.

"Ah! Yes, you must be Nishimoto-san!"

"I am."

Not fazed in the slightest by his curt manner, Kagome steamed on.

"I was… admiring this set of clothing. Do you mind telling me how you came by it?"

"It is a family heirloom."

"Wow, your family must be very old. Do you have any other pieces like this?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I…ah…that is…" Kagome racked her brain to come with a reason that would not make her sound like a complete lunatic, but InuYasha's face was all that kept popping up. Nishimoto narrowed his eyes at her as her silence stretched on.

"If that is all, miss, please excuse me."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and strode away towards the exit. Kagome gathered her scattered wits and sped up after him.

"Wait, please!"

The library had filled up with people admiring the art and Kagome quickly lost him in the crowd. Trying to push herself through, she caught a glimpse of the man at the door. He was looking right at her, before abruptly glancing away and exiting the building.

By the time Kagome reached the door, she just saw the back of a car disappear around the corner. Shoulders slumping, she turned back inside to ask the secretary if she could tell her anything about the man. In the end, all she could get out of her was his business card.

In a luxury car speeding towards the outskirts of the city, a small, skinny and sickly colored driver asked his boss what had happened to make him leave the library within fifteen minutes. A low growl was his only answer.

In the following week, Kagome did what she should have done the moment she had first read the name Nishimoto. She searched for him on the internet, in newspapers, anything she could get her hands on. She found out that he owned several small businesses, mostly art galleries. He was most famous for his private collection, which he only rarely lent out to exhibitions besides the ones in his own galleries. He owned three apartments in the city and an extensive stretch of land further to the west, where he could retreat to for some peace and quiet.

She could find little about his past. There were some rumors of him having spent time abroad, but nothing definitive.

She visited some of his galleries, but found no sign of him. She called the number on his business card, but only got a curt reply in a squeaky voice that Nishimoto-sama would not be able to make an appointment with her in the near future. Could she try again in, say, six months?

Friday found her slumped forward over the kitchen table, her mother pottering about, making dinner.

"Kagome, dear, please sit up, that posture is bad for your back."

With a groan, Kagome righted herself and stared at the ceiling. What should she do now? Keep on calling and hope that she could get an appointment sometime? Forget about the most promising lead in months and keep on searching for information in books? Or, should she be bold and just go visit him in one of his homes?

Charming her way past the doorman, claiming her estranged brother lived there and that she had to tell him their mother had fallen seriously ill, she sped up to the elevator of the luxuriant building. She tried to calm her wildly beating heart during the ride up to the 21st floor. She found the apartment quickly, being one of only five on the floor. Swallowing hard, she rang the doorbell.

She knew he had to be here. She had already been to the other two apartments, and gotten no sign of life there. Of course, he could have gone out to the country, or be at one of the galleries. She was just about to give up and turn around, when the door opened.

Dressed in slacks and a loose fitting white shirt, Nishimoto narrowed his eyes at her as soon as he recognized her.

"You…" was all he said before starting to close the door. Kagome could not let that happen, and, without thinking, shoved her foot in the opening.

"Please, wait, I really want to talk to you, Nishimoto-san!" she desperately pleaded.

"The feeling is not mutual." He started to push harder.

"Please, it's about those clothes! I…," Kagome swallowed.

Nishimoto stopped pushing, waiting for her to finish her sentence. She stared at her foot, jammed between his door and it's frame like she was some kind of demented Jehova's witness.

"I…"

"Yes?" he prompted coldly.

"I know who they belonged to," she finished lamely.

"As do I. As I told you, they have been passed down my family. Now, if you would remove yourself from this building."

"NO! I'm not leaving until I've spoken with you about InuYasha!" Kagome blurted. She immediately clapped her hands against her mouth. Then, her eyes widened and shot up at the person standing in front of her as she felt a rush of something she had not felt in a long time. Youki.

Staring at the man – could she even all him that? – in the doorway, she tried to make sense of the sensation that had only been there for a split second. She knew that youki, that particular sense of cold dread roiling in her stomach. She had feared it once, but over time had become used to it as their goals had been united. Her hands fell away from her face to hang limply at her sides. She squinted at the man's face, trying to find something familiar. She found it in a raised eyebrow.

A.N.: Don't own anything about InuYasha or YoukaiYume's artwork.


	2. Chapter 2

She was sitting on a sofa. Not just any sofa, this was _Sesshoumaru's_ sofa. She glanced around her. The living area was spacious and sparsely furnished. There was the sofa, two arm chairs and a coffee table, a tv mounted on the wall. In a cabinet under it were various other media appliances. The radio was softly playing classical music – was it Chopin's Raindrops? – as the man of the house came back from the kitchen with two cups of tea.

Kagome stared at him. She could not believe how much he had changed since she had last seen him. Then, he been downright regal in appearance, flawless and stunning, almost frighteningly so. Now, while he was in no way ugly, he would not stand out from other Japanese people save for his length.

"It's a charm," he said, as he put the tea down in front of her.

She blinked, and eloquently asked "Huh?"

He sat down, tea in hand, legs crossed and looked at a point on the wall just past her head. "A charm, Miko. A way to disguise oneself when not wanting to stand out."

She nodded as if she understood completely and kept staring.

Sesshoumaru sighed and undid the clasp on his watch. As he tossed it unto the able, his black hair lightened to the silver she was used to. The markings that had always fascinated her but was too afraid to ask about appeared and his brown eyes turned golden.

She smiled. "That's better."

"Hn."

Her smile broadened as she sipped her tea. "So… Nishimoto, huh?"

He raised an eyebrow as he answered and she had to contain a giggle. "Yes. A name like Sesshoumaru is hardly inconspicuous."

She nodded sagely. "So, what have you been up to these years?"

"Surviving."

"What about the others? Did they survive?"

"No."

Her teacup trembled. "No one…?" she whispered. She knew, of course, that Sango and Miroku could never have made it to this time. If InuYasha had, he would have sought her out be now, she was sure. But Shippou…she had hoped he would have made it, that he would be searching for her somewhere.

"The kit is still alive."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened?"

"Your human companions died of some disease. They had children, but those lines died out some hundred years ago."

Kagome smiled. So they did end up getting married and raising a family. She was happy for them, but at the same time sorry she could not have been there for it all. She glanced at Sesshoumaru. He was still looking not quite at her with a disinterested expression. The smile melted from her face. She was afraid to ask.

"And…what about…In-"

"The hanyou died in a futile fight."

"Did he ever…get married?"

"I did not concern myself with his affairs, Miko."

"I see. Well, what about your companions? What about Rin?"

His posture grew a tad more rigid. "She died."

Her heart broke for him. "Sesshoumaru, I'm so sorry. How di-"

"That is none of your concern." He stood up and walked over to a window overlooking the city. With his back turned to her, he asked what she was doing here.

"The well is shut," she said by way of an explanation.

"And what is it you think I can do to alter this?" he asked snidely, glancing at her over his shoulder.

Kagome huffed. "I don't know, aren't you Sesshoumaru the Almighty? Most powerful youkai in existence? The Killing Perfection?"

He turned back to the view. She sighed. It had been a long shot anyway. The well was probably shut because the Shikon no Tama had disappeared and nothing was going to change that. She was going to get used the fact that she was never going to see InuYasha or the others again. She would be alone, just like Sesshoumaru had been these past five hundred years. He had lived through it all, probably alone for most of the time. Suddenly, Kagome realized something. Eyes wide, she turned back to the youkai at the window.

"Did I ever come back?"

Sesshoumaru had been dreading this question ever since he saw her at the library. He had known who she was at once, standing there, staring at his dead half-brother's garb like a lovesick puppy. He had wanted to turn away immediately, but knowing her, she would seek him out somehow or other. He had hoped she would be deterred by his cold behavior towards her, but in hindsight he should have known better.

Now she was here, she had found him and posed the one question he did not know how to answer. If he told her no, she would not go back, give up and move on, he would be lying. He would also be altering his past – and what would that lead to?

If he told her yes, she would go back and be able to live with her beloved hanyou, she would most likely compel him to help her attain her goal. Did he want to have a hand in sending her back? He knew what would happen if she went, what _that_ would lead to.

He decided he liked certainties better than what ifs.

"Yes."

He loathed himself for it.

Kagome's heart soared. She would be able to go back! The well would work again, without the Shikon! All she had to do now was figure out _how_, but now that she knew it was not a matter of ´if´ but ´when´, that hurdle didn´t seem as daunting as it had. She had the urge to hug him, but refrained for fear of losing life or limb.

"Do you know when I return?"

He turned back to her. "Roughly three years after Naraku was defeated."

She nodded, already deep in thought. Three years… she could do that. Almost half a year had already gone by, so that left two and a half years before the well would somehow reopen. She could even finish high school in that time, her mother would surely be pleased.

She would just have to make her understand that she could not live in this modern world anymore, that she would miss her and Souta and grandpa heavily, of course, but that she would miss InuYasha even more if she stayed. It would not be easy, but she was sure her family would get used to the idea eventually. They had two and a half years to do so.

With that sorted out, it would just be a matter of extensive research into everything she could find. Starting with…

"Do you have any texts in your collection?"

At first, Sesshoumaru had flat out refused to let her loose in his personal library. It was located at his estate in the country, which was at least a day's travel away and he had no intention of going there anytime soon. When Kagome suggested that she go there herself, he raised his infernal eyebrow at her and told her that she would never find the place on her own. Since it was one of the few places where he could really be himself, it was very secluded and on top of that, heavily guarded.

"Well, when do you plan on going, then?" Kagome had asked, her patience wearing thin.

"Sometime in spring, next year."

At her imminent explosion, Sesshoumaru had explained that his estate was up into the mountains and impossible to get to or from in the winter. The weather forecasts had been warning for heavy snowfall for weeks now, and while he was perfectly able to survive for a few months in complete isolation, he did not relish the thought. Also, he was counting on the girl in front of him to lose interest before spring came around. Humans were nothing, if not fickle, after all.

Over the next month, he would find out how wrong that assumption was. Kagome would visit him thrice a week, just to have tea with him and talk about the past. Mostly, it was her that would be doing the talking, blabbering on about this and that adventure, stopping only once or twice to ask his opinion about something. He would then 'Hn' or offer a different but equally short answer, she would smile at him and nod, and start running her mouth again.

It was all very exasperating to the tall youkai.

When Christmas came around, Kagome crammed herself into the elevator with a Christmas tree taller than herself and a bag of decorations. She was red in the face and completely out of breath from hauling the tree over three blocks, but utterly pleased with herself. She pounded on his door giddily and smiled broadly at him when he opened the door.

"Miko, what on-"

"Merry Christmas, Sesshoumaru!"

Barging inside with the tree behind her, she scouted around for the perfect location. Deciding on a prime spot by the window, she placed the bag of decorations on the sofa and started extricating herself from her coat and scarf.

"I knew you wouldn't have a tree set up! But it's just not Christmas without one! Will you help me set it up?"

"No."

"Aw, you spoil-sport. Fine, I'll do it myself."

Rolling up her sleeves, Kagome set to work getting the tree exactly where she envisioned it to be. Stepping back to examine her handiwork, she nodded.

"Perfect."

"Miko, if I had wanted a tree, I would have set it up myself."

Kagome expertly turned a deaf ear and started humming as she began unpacking the decorations. Sesshoumaru had learned by now that it would be useless to try and stop her when she was in this sort of mood and decided to make himself a cup of tea. He had found that this was the only way to soothe his nerves when that girl was concerned. When he came back from the kitchen, she was placing hexagonal pieces of fabric all around the tree. Looking closer, he saw that they bore an uncanny resemblance to the pattern that had adorned his sleeves in the past. He also noticed the band aids littering the girl's hands. She then turned to him and smiled broadly.

"So, what do you think? Pretty nifty, huh? I made these things myself, took me almost all night! I was going to make blue moons as well, but I sort of just passed out around three, and-"

"It is adequate."

Her smile spread even wider. Sesshoumaru was mildly concerned that her face would split apart.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru. That's about as high a compliment as I could get from you. Oh, that's right!"

She turned back to the bag that had carried the decorations and rummaged through it, muttering to herself until she got her hands on whatever she was looking for. With a triumphant exclamation, she retrieved a small parcel from the bottom of the bag and came over to where he was standing. With a bow and a stretch of her arms, she offered the gift to him. Taking it from her and gingerly unwrapping it, Sesshoumaru was quietly surprised. He had never, in all his years, been presented with a Christmas gift. The paper contained a matching scarf and pair gloves. They were black, the scarf rough knit cashmere, the gloves a supple leather.

"This-" he began, only to be interrupted by her.

"It's a thank you gift, for putting up with me for all this time. And a thank you in advance for letting me look through your collection."

"I do not recall giving you permission to do so."

Kagome shrugged. "Yeah, well, now you're kind of honor bound to let me."

She had the audacity to wink impishly at him as she got back into her coat and went out the door.

A.N.: Still don't own anything.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome could hardly contain her excitement. She had finally gotten Sesshoumaru to take her to his estate during spring break. Her mother had insisted on her not missing any school, so she had one week to try and find something, _anything_, about the well.

She was waiting for him at the foot of the shrine stairs early in the morning, her bags at her feet. He had warned her that even though the snow had melted, it would still be quite cold.

While she was on the lookout for the luxury car she had seen Sesshoumaru ride sometimes, a big black four wheel drive pulled up in front of her. Sesshoumaru stepped out, dressed in his disguise, a pair of dark blue jeans and a woolen sweater. She quickly gathered her bags as he opened the boot. Tossing them in, she threw him a bemused look.

"No sleek sedan today?"

He actually smirked at her. Kagome wondered if it was a side effect of the charm he was wearing.

"I thought I had told you, Miko. My estate is a hard place to get to."

Kagome nodded as she slid into the passenger seat. "Yeah, I know. I took me the better part of two months to get you to take me."

The drive up to the mountains was unexpectedly peaceful to Seshsoumaru. Kagome had fallen asleep before they had even reached the outskirts of the city. She had been up all night from excitement.

During the first gas-stop, he woke her to let her stretch her legs and get some food. She came back with a bag full of onigiri and a few cans of self-heating tea.

"Do we have to get groceries somewhere on the way?" she asked as they took off again.

"No. My servant has already been there for a few days and will have everything prepared."

"Ah…anyone I know?"

"Jaken."

It took everything she had not to spray the windscreen with the tea she had just sipped. After a violent coughing episode, which Sesshoumaru observed with a mildly bemused look on his face, she composed herself enough to ask how the old toad could possibly blend into society.

"He wear a charm much like mine own, though not as…convincing. You will see when we arrive tonight."

For the rest of the trip, Kagome amused herself with imagining how Jaken would look, alternating between that and enjoying the view. Save for the occasional building or town, they drove mostly through wooded and mountainous country. She could almost imagine herself back in the Sengoku Jidai.

A few stops and a lot of hours later, Sesshoumaru got off the highway and steered the car onto a small lookout point. Before Kagome had a chance to get out her camera, he commandeered her to help put on the snow chains.

"But I thought you said the snow had melted…" she pouted.

"It has, but there may still be patches of ice."

When they were done, Kagome had just time enough to snap a few pictures before Sesshoumaru insisted they move on. He wanted to be there before dark, when the roads would really become treacherous, despite his enhanced eyesight.

The last stretch of their journey took them up a windy mountain road with a sheer drop on the right sight. Sesshoumaru was amused to see Kagome edge to the far left of her seat so as not to have to look down the ravine.

"Scared, Miko?"

"Heh, well, I'm not really good with heights, so…"

"What about all those times my half-brother carried you on his back?"

"That was different. His hair was always blowing in my face, so I couldn't exactly see how high up we'd be. And besides, I always trusted him not to let me fall."

The slight smile Sesshoumaru had been wearing vanished. "And you do not trust me to drive you up this mountain safely?"

Wide eyed, Kagome back pedaled. "No, no, it's not like that! I mean, it's like, you know, you could hit a sheet of ice or something, or the ground could crumble under the wheels, and then-"

"Save your breath, wench," he growled at her.

Kagome swallowed the retort she wanted to throw at him for the drop in civility and stared angrily ahead. The last couple of bends passed in a stony, uncomfortable silence. By the time the walls that surrounded the estate came into view, Kagome was close to tears. She had been beating herself up for spewing out something that had set her friendship with Sesshoumaru back so far that he had not even called her 'Miko' anymore. As he pulled over to wait for the automatic gate to open, she sniffled and angrily wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Beside her, she heard him sigh softly and gruffly demand what was wrong. It reminded her so much of InuYasha that she burst into tears.

"I'm so-ho-rry, Sesshou-ho-maru," she managed through her outbursts, "I didn't mean it like that! I always sa-ha-y things before I think about them, always have. I do trust you, I do-ho!"

By then, the gates had opened and Sesshoumaru started the car up again. They drove through, Kagome still violently sniffing. He could not stand it any longer.

"…I know, Miko."

It brought on another wave of tears, but also a smile so bright he could have steered the car up the mountain by it.

"…and this will be your room," the squeaky voice from the phone conversations said.

She could now put a face to it. After they had entered the main house, they were met by a small, sickly colored man. It took her a second to put one and one together, but as she did, she burst into hysteric giggles. A charm not so convincing, indeed. Jaken the human did not even reach Kagome's shoulder and looked as if he had been bent over a toilet for the better part of a week. His nose was sharp, as if all the magic in the world could not cover up the beak of his true form. His ears were still slightly pointy and his eyes were big and bulbous, but not nearly as much as she remembered them to be.

Beside her, Sesshoumaru had taken of his watch and tossed it to the imp in disguise.

"You may take of the charm now, Jaken."

"B-but, mi'lord, she is human!"

"And you are an imp. Don't you remember me, Jaken? Should I step on your head to jog up your memory?" Kagome had said through a grin.

Gasping at her comment, Jaken had waddled closer and squinted at her, before his eyes had opened wider than she thought possible.

"The Shikon Miko! How _dare_ you show yourself here, after-"

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru's tone spoke of terrible things if the imp would not shut up instantly.

"Yes, mi'lord?"

"Show her to the guest room. Then come unpack my things."

"…Yes, mi'lord."

He had then obediently shown Kagome to her room, though he had glared at her all the way. Kagome wondered what it was that she did to upset him so much. Surely, her stepping on his head was long enough ago for him to be this angry about. Before she could ask him, though, he had tossed her bags into the room, shoved her inside and slammed the sliding door shut. When she opened it again, he had already vanished down the hall.

She turned back into the room to examine it. It was a 6 tatami mat room, with sliding door closets to house her clothes and the futon. There was a small alcove where an electric kettle was set up. In the far back, more sliding doors connected to the engawa and gardens. It was too dark already to go explore the gardens, but the sound of water and a shishi-odoshi told her there had to be a pond somewhere. She quickly unloaded her bags into the closet and went back to the common room Jaken had told her dinner would be served in.

When she got there, Sesshoumaru was already seated at the low table, looking fresh and crisp in a clean yukata.

"Wow, you already bathed?" Kagome asked as she sat down, "I didn't think I was gone that long…"

"I dislike long car rides," he explained, "I always take a bath right after. You may take your bath after dinner, should you wish."

They said a quick prayer before starting on their dinner of miso, nikujaga and rice. Kagome was surprised at how tasty it all was and snorted when the unbidden image of Jaken in an apron bubbled up in her head. It earned her a raised eyebrow, but she waved it away.

After dinner, Sesshoumaru showed her to the indoor onsen and back to her room before leaving her to her own devices. She decided that having a bath was not a bad idea at all, and grabbed her bathing supplies and pajamas before heading back down the hall.

Just as she was done washing herself and had gotten comfortable in the warm water, an outburst of youki broke through her reverie. Drying herself off as fast as she had ever done and quickly shooting into her pajamas, she flew to the gardens, only to almost bowl a not so human anymore Jaken over. He was standing there quietly, observing something in the garden.

"Jaken! What's going on, what happened?!"

"Quiet, woman! Lord Sesshoumaru does not need you interrupting his time of relaxation!" the imp snapped at her.

The wind picked up and blew her still dripping hair away from her face. She stared into the darkness and suddenly understood. She sat down quietly beside Jaken, her feet dangling off the engawa.

"Does he always do this when he gets here?" she asked in a quiet whisper.

Jaken glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before nodding. "Usually the very moment he arrives. He only delayed this because you were there. Be grateful, human."

Even in the dark of night, Sesshoumaru's huge silhouette was easily discernable. His silvery white fur reflected even the slightest source of light, making him stand out against the background. Completely in awe, Kagome admitted to the imp that she was, indeed, very grateful to be there. The inuyoukai heard, and was very pleased.

A.N.: Still don't own anything.


	4. Chapter 4

At the clearing of a throat, Kagome woke with a start, sending several papers flying around the room. Quickly gathering them back to the table, she looked at Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway with an eyebrow raised. One of these days, she was going to wax it off so it wouldn't be so noticeable when he did that.

"I wonder at your research methods, Miko," he mildly intoned, "tell me how you can read with your eyes closed?"

"Why, Seshoumaru, I'm surprised at you. Can't you hear the words speaking to you from the pages? They do to me," she said sarcastically while sorting out some books.

"Hn."

She sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just that I have not been able to find anything that would be of use over the past four days, and it's beginning to get really annoying."

After Sesshoumaru had shown her his collection of texts and books, and what he thought would be a good place to start, he had left her to her search. Jaken would occasionally come in to scold her about the delicacy of some of the papers, or to grudgingly ask is she needed anything. It seemed that Sesshoumaru had instructed him to be civil to her, but it did not come willingly to the small green creature. They'd had dinner together every night, with Jaken hovering around and huffing at the compliments she would pay him for the food. It did not slip by her that her portions grew day by day.

Sesshoumaru came over to her and sifted through the papers on the table before sitting down in front of her.

"Do you actually know what you are looking for?"

"Information about the well, and how to open it." Kagome rolled her eyes at him. Surely that much was obvious.

An eyebrow raised itself again. She started to wonder if they were sentient.

"Do you not think that is very specific?"

"Why shouldn't I look for specific information? It's a very specific situation."

"Knowledge about the well and it's magical properties is not widely spread, Miko. After you vanished, your companions did everything they could to cover it up in hopes of you returning. They did not want to risk anything tampering with the well."

Kagome stared at him. "How do you know? I thought you did not meddle in their affairs?"

"Rin stayed in your village, to be raised by her own species. I visited."

As she had discovered early on that anything to do with Rin was a touchy subject, she decided not to push there. "So what do you recommend I look into?"

Seshoumaru stood up and wandered around the room, gazing at the titles on the shelves. "The Shikon, it's keepers. Anything about spiritual barriers."

"But I already know the Shikon's not involved. You told me I return, and it's gone, so I have to be able to travel through time without it."

"Regardless, it is still linked to you and the well." He dropped a sizable tome in her lap. "This is every piece of information I own about the Shikon. If you cannot find anything of use in here, you will find nothing in my collection."

On her last day in the mountains, Kagome was wandering around the gardens, wondering why Sesshoumaru had not given her the book on the Shikon and everything related before. It was as if one moment, he wanted to help her get to reopen the well and in the next, he abhorred the idea of her being back in the past. And Jaken's contempt for her must come from something. It must be something she would do when she got back the past, but she could not fathom what it would be. Spotting Sesshoumaru by the pond, she decided she would just ask him.

He refused to answer or even meet her gaze. "I will not tell you. It would change the course of time."

"What do you mean? Do you mean that if I knew, I would not go back to prevent it from happening, whatever _it_ is? And by staying here, I would create some sort of paradox, or something?"

He nodded once. "That is a possibility."

"Well, it has to be pretty terrible if it could keep me away from InuYasha," she tried to assure him, "Don't worry, Sesshoumaru, I'm going back, one way or another. But I'll try to do anything in my power to not make you hate me in the process."

As she sauntered off, Sesshoumaru sighed to himself.

"That will not be enough, Kagome."

The trip back to town was uneventful. Kagome had convinced Sesshoumaru to let her take the tome with her, so she could read it front to back at a more leisurely pace. She tried to read somewhat during the trip, but only succeeded in making herself carsick. Instead, she napped a little, ate a little, drank a little and spoke a little, and before she knew it, Sesshoumaru was helping her carry her bags up the shrine stairs. He adamantly refused to come in, however, even after her mother came outside to welcome her home and insisted he stay for dinner as thanks for letting her daughter stay with him.

So, instead, mother and daughter waved him down the stairs and off into the city before going inside. After a long, hot bath, Kagome told her mother all about the thing she found and did not find, showing her the book Sesshoumaru had lent her. Miss Higurashi took one look at it and wished her daughter luck working through it all, before starting on dinner.

The following months, Kagome read, reread and re-reread the book. While she learned a lot about Midoriko, Kikyou and every miko in between that had been burdened with the care for the Shikon, she found the information of little use in her own predicament. When she tried to contact Sesshoumaru to discuss her findings, Jaken told her that he was traveling for business and would not be back until early autumn. Kagome was dumbfounded that he had not told her himself. She tried emailing him, but all she got was a short answer that he would come see her when he returned. Every other mail she sent after that was met with a stony digital silence.

After she heard of his absence, she spent the first few days wondering what she could have said or done to upset him. When she could not figure it out, she decided she was overanalyzing the situation, and that she should just believe Jaken. Sesshoumaru had gone abroad to hunt for some choice pieces of art, and that was that.

She busied herself with school and got back in touch with the literary club and her friends that she had been neglecting. Though InuYasha and the others were never far from her mind, she found it strangely liberating to be a normal high school girl for once.

On the other side of the world, Sesshoumaru found it hard to concentrate on his job. Every time he saw a group of Japanese tourists pass him, he wondered what she was doing. He even caught himself looking for her in the throngs of people surrounding the statue of David. It did not disturb him as much as it once would have. After meeting her in the library, almost a year ago now, his hatred for her had quickly dissipated. He knew it had been misplaced in the first place, but at the time he had needed someone to blame.

"Nishimoto-sama?" a familiar voice brought him from his thoughts.

A young man was suddenly standing beside him. He had dark, curly hair and dark brown eyes. A wisp of a moustache adorned his mouth, which was curved into an easy smile.

"I thought that was you. I was not expecting you for another year, or so. Is something wrong with your charm?"

"The charm is adequate, as is yours. Very convincing, kit."

The grin showed the man's true nature.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru. Coming from you, that is high praise indeed."

A picture of handmade Christmas ornaments flashed before his eyes and before he had recomposed himself, the kit had invited him to his home for a cup of coffee. As soon as they entered the door, the younger man took of the golden necklace bearing a cross and tossed it in a bowl beside the door with his keys. Stretching his long legs and seven tails, Shippou exclaimed that this was much better and directed Sesshoumaru to wake of his charm as well.

"No one is watching here, Sesshoumaru."

"I do not recall giving you permission to call me by my name so familiarly, kit."

"As long as you're going to call me 'kit', I'm going to call you Sesshoumaru. Nothing more, nothing less."

As Shippou rummaged through the kitchen, making coffee and trying to find anything remotely edible, Sesshoumaru sat himself down at the dinner table.

"Any news from the old country?" came a muffled cry from the kitchen.

"The Miko has returned."

A loud crash, followed by silence. The kitsune came back around the corner empty handed and scowling.

"And she sent you to find me, is that it?"

"I am here on business. I did not know you would be in Italy."

Shippou sat down opposite him with a sigh. "Yeah…I was in Norway, when you last saw, me huh?"

At Sesshoumaru's nod, another silence stretched. With another heavy sigh, Shippou stood up again.

"Don't tell her where I am. I have long since forgiven her for…you know… But I don't know if she can forgive me for what happened after…"

"I understand."

Shippou nodded in thanks and went to get their coffee. They drank it in silence. As Sesshoumaru got up to leave, Shippou could not stop the question rolling from his lips.

"Have _you_ forgiven her, Sesshoumaru?"

The inuyoukai paused in the doorway. Without looking back at the kitsune, he answered.

"Yes."

Another typical grin. "Good. Treat her well."

"Hn."

And with that, Sesshoumaru was back on the streets of Florence, his business completed.

A.N.: Still don't own anything.


	5. Chapter 5

By the end of September, Kagome had still not heard anything from Sesshoumaru and she was beginning to get antsy. He should have been back by now and thus should have contacted her, but her email still went unanswered and it seemed like Jaken was screening her calls, because all she got was voicemail.

When she'd finally had about all the silence she could take, she called his number for 20 minutes non-stop before finally getting through.

"Jaken! If you do not tell me right now where Sesshoumaru is, so help me-"

"Miko. Should you not be more concerned about midterms?"

Sputtering momentarily at the unexpected deep baritone on the other end of the line, Kagome demanded to know why he had not contacted her the minute he returned.

"Contrary to your beliefs, I do have a life outside of your quest, Miko."

"You just spent the entire summer on the other side of the world, and you couldn't find a second in your busy schedule to call or visit me?"

"I do not see why-"

"Because I missed you, you oaf!" Kagome yelled, before angrily hanging up. By the time her words had registered in her brain, she was beat red and mentally screaming at herself.

In his apartment, Sesshoumaru stared amusedly at his phone. He was strangely pleased with the face that she had missed him.

The following week, Kagome was too embarrassed to contact him again. She was also, as Sesshoumaru had pointed out, busy with preparing for her midterms. When they were over and she had passed them with wildly flapping, but not quite flying colours, she found herself in the midst of the preparations for the culture festival. Deciding she was going to have to suck it up, she sent Sesshoumaru an invitation for it, not really expecting he would come.

So, on the day itself, when one of her classmates tapped her on the shoulder and told her there was a man that had specifically asked for her to serve him, she was pleasantly surprised. Walking over to him with a menu and a smile, she welcomed him to their class tea house.

"Traditional garb, Miko?"

"Haha, yes! When we decided to name the tea house 'Tea Through the Ages', it was really easy for me to decide which age I wanted to represent."

"Hn."

"So, what would you like to drink?"

Glancing over the menu, he ordered a cup of regular green tea. Kagome smiled at the predictability of his choice and went to get it for him. She brought him his tea, with a complimentary plate of dango, and sat down opposite of him. At his questioning look, she shrugged.

"I took my break a bit early. So, how was your trip?"

"Satisfactory."

When no more information was offered, Kagome sighed. "I suppose that's all I'm going to get out of you, huh?"

He quietly sipped his tea in answer. Kagome took one of the dango skewers and started picking one of the morsels apart, while telling him what she had and had not found in the book he had lent her. She lamented at length about not being able to find anything of use. Sesshoumaru frowned at her, disappointed at her lack of insight. Interrupting her rant, he asked her if she had not found any similarities in the stories of the various miko that had cared for the jewel. Kagome munched on a piece of dango as she mulled that question over for a while. He patiently waited for her to have the epiphany she needed.

She suddenly gasped. "They all finished their quest before passing the jewel on! I mean, save for Midoriko, who started it all, and Kikyou, who was a special case I guess…"

At his nod, her face lit up. "I can't believe I didn't catch that, I must've read it like a hundred times… But didn't I already finish my quest by wishing the jewel away? And besides, I can't pass it on to anyone, cause it's gone…"

"It would seem that you are, like your previous incarnation, a 'special case', as you said. Though the Shikon itself has gone, your reiki still resonates with its power."

"It does? I never noticed… But then the question is, what do I have to finish?"

He raised his eyebrow at her. "It is not obvious, Miko?"

She nodded. "My life in this time."

The rest of the day was kind of a blur to Kagome. Sesshoumaru had left again as soon as he had finished his tea, leaving her to her thoughts. While she had always known that she would some day have to choose between her own time and InuYasha's, the realisation of it still stung. She knew where she would go, but that brought a lot of regrets with it. She would never go to college, like her mother wanted her to. She would not take over the shrine, like her grandfather wanted her to. She would not see Souta grow up, like she wanted to. She would have to say goodbye too all the comforts of the modern time, let alone her friends, family and Sesshoumaru. She frowned to herself when that thought came bubbling up.

She would still be able to see him in the Sengoku Jidai, of course, but in her own time, the proud youkai had become much more approachable. While still far from sociable, she had come to enjoy the regular visits she had paid him the year before and had missed him when he was abroad. She blushed when she remembered her shouted confession about that only a few weeks ago.

She fervently shook her head, earning her a few wondering glances from people around her. No matter how much she was going to miss everything and everyone on this side of the well, it all paled to nothing compared to being able to see InuYasha again. He was probably waiting for her on his side. She could not disappoint him, could she?

It took some time for doubt to creep in. Increasingly often, she found herself thinking that maybe, InuYasha would not be waiting for her. That he had gone off, finally freed from his ties to jewel, to the well, to her, and was living his happily ever after somewhere with some pretty demoness.

When she had asked him about it that first night, hadn't Sesshoumaru skirted around the question? Maybe he'd done that out of consideration for her feelings. Kagome snorted.

"Yeah, right," she said out loud to herself. But she still could not shake her suspicions off completely. She decided to ask Sesshoumaru the next time she saw him.

That would prove not to be till Christmas. Once again, Kagome found herself in the elevator of his apartment building, a tree in tow. Trailing pine needles everywhere, she barged into his apartment the second he opened the door. He did not even try to stop her this time and calmly went into the kitchen to make himself a big cup of tea.

While Kagome was decorating the tree – this time she did make little blue moons – she wondered how she would address the subject. Given their turbulent relation, talking about his half-brother always set Sesshoumaru on edge, she had found. On the other hand, beating around the bush was something that annoyed him.

When he came back into the room with his tea, he could sense the tension rolling off of her. She was standing with an ornament – had she actually made the blue moons this year? – hanging from her hand, halfway towards the tree, completely motionless and lost in thought.

"Miko," he prompted.

"DidInuYashawaitformeordidherunoffwithsomedemonchick?" she blurted.

He stared at her. She took a deep breath and repeated her question at a more regular pace.

"Well, I was just…wondering. Did he wait for me, or did he… you know… run off the second I was out of his hair?"

"I was under the impression that you trusted the hanyou."

"I did, I mean, I do, but-"

"I already told you I did not meddle with his affairs."

"But maybe there were rumours, or you came across him once while you were travelling and found that he had started a family, or-"

"He waited."

The relief and happiness she felt was instantaneous. Sesshoumaru was sickened by it. As he drank his tea, quietly seething, Kagome finished the tree. She got back into her coat and went for the door. Just as she was about to leave, she remembered something.

"Oh, that's right! Sesshoumaru, I'm sorry, but I don't have a Christmas present for you this year. Instead, Mama said to invite you for the Shogatsu celebration at the shrine. You won't have to wear your charm, 'cause there's always a lot of people dressed up crazy at our shrine."

"Hn."

"So, will you be there?" she pressed.

"I will."

This time, her happiness pleased him.

As she had said, the shrine was brimming with people that had dressed up in a variety of unusual manners. No-one gave Sesshoumaru a second glance as he glided through the masses in clothes that closely resembled the outfit he'd worn in the past. While he was looking around for the girl in question, he was tapped on his shoulder and found himself face to face with a woman who resembled Kagome.

"You must be Sesshoumaru-sama," Miss Higurashi said with a smile, "Kagome has told me a lot about you."

He nodded politely. "Miss Higurashi."

"Ah, that's me, and I presume Kagome has not told you anything about me. All that that girl ever talks about is the past and anything to do with it."

The slightly pained look did not escape him.

"Well, you must be looking for Kagome. She is overseeing the offerings, if you pass through here-" she led him behind some stalls selling food and good luck charms- "you will be able to see her and catch her when she's done."

He nodded in thanks as Miss Higurashi waved him off before going back to selling mochi. Sesshoumaru reached the heart of the shrine just before midnight, and bells in Buddhist temples all around the city started ringing. To his ears, it was almost painful. But as he caught sight of Kagome, that pain was forgotten.

She looked radiant, dressed up in richly embellished traditional miko clothing, he hair swept up into an intricate up-do, guiding people to pay their respects to the kami, making sure everyone got their turn and keeping order in place with a bright smile. When she caught sight of him, however, she quickly got another shrine maiden to take her place and waded through the crowd to get to him.

"You made it! I wasn't sure you'd actually come, but I'm really happy you did!"

"This Sesshoumaru is a man of his word, Miko."

She giggled at his manner of speech. "Man, that takes me back! Next thing I know, you'll be spraying your poison all over me."

"Hn."

"Come on, I know a spot where it's not so crowded, and we can see the fireworks in the city."

She took him to the Goshinboku and started climbing up. She had done this so often when she was a child, her elaborate clothing wasn't a hindrance to her. Sesshoumaru simply waited until she had settled before jumping up in one go, earning him another giggle. They sat at the top most branches that would support their weight, staring out over the city. Suddenly, he remembered something.

"Weren't you scared of heights, Miko?"

Beside him, she grinned. "You're with me, aren't you? What could possibly happen?"

Before he could respond, the clock turned twelve, and they were surrounded by fireworks going off all over the city.

Kagome gasped. "It's beautiful!"

Sesshoumaru glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "Yes."

She smiled over at him. "Happy New Year, Sesshoumaru."

"Happy New Year, Kagome."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A.N.: Still don't own anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome sighed, her feet dangling off the engawa to break the surface of the koi-pond. She had made Sesshoumaru invite her to his mountain home for spring break, to take her mind off things, but even the peaceful scenery could not make her forget that this was going to be her last year in the future. She smiled ruefully as she realized she was already thinking of her own time as the future.

The floorboards creaked behind her and she glanced back, expecting to see Jaken waddling over with a cup of tea. Instead, she stared at Sesshoumaru as he sat down beside her in seiza and placed a tray of tea and some sweets in between them.

"You are disturbing the koi," he observed.

"Well, then they know how I feel," Kagome muttered as she pulled her feet out of the water.

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. Since passing her exams at the end of the school year, her mood had dropped considerably and she had been moping almost constantly. In his own way, he was concerned for her, which was why he had allowed her to invite herself over to his estate. It did not lift her spirits as he had expected it to, however, and that upset him more.

"You will be happy in the past," he tried to console her.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I know, but I'm also going to miss so much over here! Mama's cooking, Grandpa's stories, laughing with Souta," she drew a shaky breath, "…visiting you."

Sesshoumaru was taken aback. While he had actually come to enjoy her company, he had not thought that he was anything but her only current link to the past, her only way to keep the memories of his half-brother alive until she got to see him again.

"You will see me in the past."

She shook her head. "It won't be the same! You already dislike me over there, and I'm going to do something horrible that will make you hate me even more! I won't be able to talk to you as I do now, and I'm going to miss it!"

He did not really know what to say to that, and opted for silence. As he sipped his tea, Kagome calmed down a little, and sighed once more. It seemed to be the umpteenth time that she did that.

"I always knew that I would have to choose between now and then, and I know I will not be happy unless I go back to InuYasha, so I have to go. I mean, I will go. I_ want_ to go. But that does not make it any easier to say goodbye now…"

"You still have a year to do so, Kagome. It does not have to be now."

Her smile was somewhat forced, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

Not long after her second trip to his estate, Kagome decided she was going to stop moping and just make the most of the year she had.

While she had convinced her teachers that she did not have to get her grades up because she would be going abroad right after high school, she wanted to make her mother proud of her and worked hard at every test that was thrown at her.

She had told her friends the same story as her teachers, with the addition that she was going to get married overseas in an arranged marriage her grandfather had made to save the shrine from going under. They all pitied her for not being able to chose her own husband, and often took her out shopping, or to karaoke, or WcDonalds to lift her spirits, as they said.

She asked her grandfather to write down every story she hadn't yet heard, so she would be able to take them with her and read them whenever she wanted.

She went to cheer on Souta at every soccer game he had, and always took him out for ice cream after.

Sesshoumaru, however, was a different story. During the week she had spent with him in the mountains, she had noticed him stealing glances at her every so often. He had often brought her tea instead of Jaken and joined her when she was walking through the gardens at least once a day. All in all, he had been uncharacteristically thoughtful, and it unnerved her.

Sure, she was happy that a man such as him actually paid attention to her, and she had felt giddy when they had been up in the tree together at New Years. She didn't think he knew, but she had caught him looking at her when he had agreed about the beauty of the fireworks.

It had sent a gush of butterflies loose in her stomach at the time, but afterwards she had convinced herself she had been imagining things.

Now, she wasn't so sure anymore. While she still thought the idea of Sesshoumaru actually _liking_ her preposterous, she couldn't escape the fact that he was being awfully nice to her, and that she was thinking about him more and more, and all it did was confuse and upset her to no end. Why was it so hard to suppress the urge to call him? Wasn't she supposed to be truly, madly, deeply in love with InuYasha? How could she even be thinking about his hated half-brother?

On his end, Sesshoumaru was slowly starting to regret ever meeting the girl in this part of time. He had made an utter fool of himself by all but drooling over her when she had last visited his estate and now _she_ was giving _him_ the cold shoulder. He refused to contact her and ruin his reputation even further, but at the same time, her silence towards enraged him more than he thought possible.

He was glad that the other youkai lords had all passed before him, or he would never hear the end of it. The very thing they had taunted him with when had taken Rin for his ward, the thing he had thrown back in their faces as being outrageously absurd, the thing he had resented his father for, that he had sworn to himself he would never let happen…

Sesshoumaru, Lord of the House of the Moon, Ruler of the West, the Killing Perfection, the last living DaiYoukai, had fallen for a human.

When his phone finally rang with the Higurashi-household number in the display, Sesshoumaru was quick to answer. Instead of Kagome's voice, however, her mother invited him to a surprise birthday party they were planning. As it was going to be the last birthday of her daughter that they were going to be able to spend with her, they wanted to make it extra special, and she knew Kagome would never forgive her if she didn't invite him, or him if he didn't come.

Before she could further guilt him into coming, Sesshoumaru gracefully accepted the invitation.

At the bottom of the shrine stairs, Kagome wondered where the music was coming from, and why the Goshinboku was lit up. She had thought her mother was up to something concerning her birthday, but they had already been out to dinner with the family on the day itself, now two weeks ago.

The sight that met her when she reached the top of the steps brought tears to her eyes. The whole shrine had been covered in lanterns and other lights, giving the people waiting for her an other-worldly glow. Everyone was there, her classmates, her family, neighbors, other friends. They all screamed 'Surprise!' in unison as soon as she stepped under the torii arch and rushed forward to congratulate her and give her gifts. It took the better part of an hour for everyone to talk to her, they all wanted to wish her luck abroad, even though she would not be going for another six months or so. When her mother came to her, she scolded her for throwing another party while the y had already celebrated with just the four of them, weren't they having enough trouble with money already?

Her mother smiled and said it had not cost a thing, and, besides, did she really think she was going to let her only daughter leave with a fabulous party? Kagome spent the next few hours mingling with the party guests, while trying to ignore the obvious absentee.

When she went for a breath of fresh air beneath the God Tree, however, she found him sitting between the roots, patiently waiting for her. Ignoring the blush that threatened to creep up her cheeks and the skip of her heart, she sat beside him.

"Not much of a party fan, huh?" she began.

"No."

"Did my mom make you pay for all this?"

"I offered."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I really appreciate it."

He nodded, and handed her a gift. She was only speechless for a moment before ripping into the paper and uncovering a backpack. It was a sturdy, dark grey canvas bag with lots of compartments. When she opened it to look inside, she found two of her handmade Christmas ornaments sewed into the inside of the bag and an envelope on the bottom of the bag. She took it out and made to open it, only to be stopped by a low growl beside her. She looked at him with her eyes wide.

"Do not open that until the time is right."

She swallowed before putting the envelop back. "How will I know?" she asked in a whisper.

He looked at her, straight at her. "You will," he rumbled.

She nodded, before asking if he had sewn the ornaments in himself, to lighten the mood. He turned his gaze back at the party before answering that he'd had Jaken do it. She stood up and made sure he would thank the imp in her name before going back to the party. She turned back to him just before she left the clearing around the giant tree, clutching the bag to her chest and trying her hardest not to cry.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

He nodded at her before leaving quietly. She stood staring at the spot he had occupied for some time before joining the other guests.

The following months, Kagome found herself swamped yet again in preparing for the final exams in December, and could not find any time to make her yearly tree-trip up to his apartment when she would have liked. She wasn't able to go until the first day of winter break, and by then all the Christmas trees in the city had been sold. Her spirits downcast, she made her way over to his apartment with only a Christmas cake in her hands.

So, when he opened the door and she was greeted by a large tree already inhabiting the spot she had picked for it two years ago, she was pleasantly surprised. It was waiting for her to decorate it, her ornaments gathered in a box on the table. She beamed at Sesshoumaru as she pushed the cake into his hands and rushed over to start her work. He shook her head at her antics and went to make his tea.

When she was done, instead of bolting straight out of the door, she joined him on the sofa to admire her handiwork and have a piece of cake.

"I guess this is going to be the last Christmas I get to celebrate like this," she said, suddenly feeling sullen.

His characteristic 'Hn' was her only answer. They sat in silence for a while before Kagome got up and went for the door. He walked with her to the elevator. As they waited for it to come up, she turned towards him.

"I know I said it before, Sesshoumaru, but I'm really going to miss you."

The elevator ding-ed, and she got in.

"I will miss you too, Kagome," he said, just after the doors closed.

She'd said her goodbyes to her family, they did not want to join her in the well house and she was fine with that. She threw her new backpack over the lip ahead of her and was delighted to see it disappear into a flash of light. It seemed the well was going to humor her just this once, just this last time.

As she swung her legs over the lip, the door opened behind her. Thinking it would be her mother, come to give her one last hug, she turns around to smile at her. Instead, she found Sesshoumaru staring at her from the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face.

Her smile is still bright as she raises an eyebrow at him, mocking him in their last moment together.

"What are you doing here? We already said goodbye yesterday," she asked, teasingly.

"I have come to see you off. Your mother has asked me to," he explained, while stepping closer.

She nods, and turns back to the magical time portal that has caused her so much happiness and sorrow. The blue light that swallowed her backpack just a minute ago was slowly creeping upward. Sesshoumaru whished it would not move so quickly, but he knew how this would end before it had begun.

"This is it," he heard her whisper as she leaned forward, her hands letting go of the lip of the well.

In a blur of desperate movement, he plucked her from the air before the magic of the well can take her. Holding her tightly against his chest, he buried his nose in her hair, restraint flown out the window the second he stepped through the door. He hungrily took in her scent to keep into his memory for the rest of his long, immortal existence.

"Sesshomaru?" She whispered in confusion. This is the first time he has ever really touched her and it filled him with lifelong regrets.

"Don't go," he pleaded. He had never begged before in his life, but Kagome had been a source of firsts already. "I love you. Don't go."

A tear landed on his arm and he could feel her frame shaking. He hated himself for doing this to her, when he knew it was futile, but he could no longer control himself.

"I have to," she whispered, wiping the tears from her face and gently removing his arms from her body. She turned to him, a sad smile on her face. "You told me yourself that I have to."

He reluctantly nodded. She hugged him, tightly, before abruptly letting go and falling backwards into well.

He stared until the blue light faded, and kept staring long after that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A.N.: Still don't own anything


	7. Chapter 7

She had to take a second to compose herself. She knew the well had worked, could smell it in the crispness in the air, see it in the way the light streamed in and hear it in the sounds around her. She knew that on the other side of the portal was a man who had just confessed his love for her, and she had left him standing. She also knew that in a village not too far away, another man had sensed her returning and was now rapidly approaching her position.

Kagome felt torn. While she had just spent three years in the future with Sesshoumaru, and had come to like him as he was then, her year with InuYasha before that had cemented his place in her heart. She heard him yell for her in the distance, and the beat her heart skipped decided it for her.

Climbing quickly up and out of the well, she grasped the clawed hand that was extended to her with a smile on her face.

"InuYasha," she whispered, tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, were you waiting?"

"Kagome…" he answered hoarsely, before pulling her into his arms, "You idiot, what have you been up to?"

Behind them, Miroku, Sango and Shippou had come running up the hill, calling her name when they saw her. Releasing InuYasha from her embrace, she turned to them.

"Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, Shippou-chan!" she exclaimed, "I'm back!"

The following months, Kagome got settled into her new – or should she say old? – life. Under Kaede's tutelage, she got familiar with the herbs in and around the village, and learned how to use them to make medicine. Rin often helped them when they went to pick them. She was starting to grow up, and the boys in the village were starting to notice her. She only ever had eyes for her Sesshoumaru whenever he visited, or for Shippou when he returned from training to become a better kitsune youkai.

One day, during one of Sesshoumaru's spare visits, Kagome asked InuYasha what had made the girl want to stay in the village.

"I thought she'd want to go with Sesshoumaru," she said.

InuYasha shrugged. "Kaede-babaa suggested it. It's like practice for when she returns to a human village. Or whatever she chooses."

Suddenly, they were shaded by something flying over them. Kagome looked up to see Sesshoumaru leaving again. She forced a smile on her face and waved.

"Onii-san!" she yelled.

His glare was so fierce, she immediately dropped her hand.

"He looked very mad," she pouted, and glanced over at InuYasha who was wearing a similar expression. "Why are you glaring at me?"

"That had a really nasty ring to it."

Kagome almost told him that Sesshoumaru was the very reason she was back here now, that he should be thankful of his brother's concern for her in the future. She couldn't, though. InuYasha would never understand, he wouldn't be able to believe the change in character she had seen with her own eyes. She decided to keep it a secret from everyone.

Over the following years, Kagome stayed with InuYasha in the village. They would occasionally travel to other villages to help deal with smaller level youkai, or sicknesses, or anything that would need a miko's help.

Both Shippou and Rin were growing up quickly, and had started seeing each other in what they thought was a secret manner. InuYasha balked at their lovesickness, but Kagome thought it was utterly cute and encouraged them in any way she could. Even Sesshoumaru didn't seem to be appalled by the idea, or at least, he never spoke against it when he visisted.

About five years after Kagome had returned, Rin came to her one night when InuYasha had gone off with Miroku to exterminate some youkai that had been ruining rice fields a few villages over.

"Kagome, could I talk to you for a second?" the young woman asked timidly from the door of the hut the older woman shared with the hanyou.

"Sure, Rin, come in! Do you want some tea? I was just about to make myself some."

Nodding, Rin took her place by the fire pit and stared at her hands, folded in her lap. Kagome knew all too well what she had come to talk about, and found it hard to contain her giddy enthusiasm. She handed her a cup of tea, sat across from her, and waited. After what seemed like an eternity to Kagome, Rin finally began.

"So…Shippou had asked me to be-"

"Become his mate! I know, Rin, I'm so happy for you!" Kagome could not hold it in any longer, and rushed to embrace the girl she had come to think of as her little sister. To her surprise, however, Rin burst into tears and started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Aah! What's wrong, Rin? Don't you want to be his mate? I thought you liked Shippou!" she said while hugging the girl even tighter and trying to console her.

"I do! I really like him!," Rin managed through her tears, "but what will Sesshoumaru-sama say?" she finished in a whisper.

Kagome smiled. "I'm sure he will be very happy for you as well. If he didn't want you to be with Shippou, he would have said something long ago."

Rin wiped her tears. "You think so?"

Hugging her once more, Kagome nodded. "I know so. When have you ever known Sesshoumaru to let something happen he didn't want to?"

Her distress disappeared instantly and was replaced with joy. "Thank you, Kagome! I'm going to tell Shippou right away!"

As the girl immediately got up and bolted from the hut, Kagome shook her head at her antics. Did she really think Sesshoumaru was in any position to deny her anything? All she had to do was look at him with her big brown eyes and the proud youkai was putty in her hands. Kagome vaguely wondered if she would have had the same effect on him if she had stayed in her own time, but quickly shook that thought from her head. She had decided long ago that she would stop thinking about Future-maru, as she had come to name him, but her mind never seemed to learn. The next thing on her mind was if her encouraging Rin would make Sesshoumaru hate her, but that thought was dismissed just as quickly. How could he resent her for wishing his ward happiness?

As Kagome had predicted, Sesshoumaru could not refuse Shippou when he came to ask him for Rin's hand. The inu had known about his ward's attachment to the kitsune for some time, and had decided that he would be a worthy partner for her.

So, in the spring, at Kagome's insistence, they held a small ceremony in the village. She had always wanted to hold something similar for InuYasha and herself, but something always seemed to come up. Now that she had a chance to live vicariously through her adoptive son and adoptive sister, she went all out with the décor. Weaving flowers for hours on end the day before, directing the guys to throw together something resembling a gazebo, she felt more alive than she had for some time now. She wondered at that. Hadn't she longed for this life for so long? Why did she feel a pang of jealousy every time she saw Shippou hugging Rin, or Sango bump Miroku on the head? Didn't she have the same connection to InuYasha?

Deciding not to dwell on those feelings and ruin the kids' special day, she put on her happy face and gushed over the happy pair with the rest of the group.

After the ceremony, Shippou had taken Rin on a trip to the kitsune academy and a tour of the country after that. With the lovebirds gone from the village, peace was restored to everyone's mind, except Kagome's. She found herself worrying over her relationship with InuYasha increasingly often, and more often than not, thoughts of Future-maru would bubble up. She wasn't sure if those thoughts were unwanted anymore.

It was raining again. It had been raining off and on for over three weeks now and spirits were low throughout the village. Kagome had been trying to confront InuYasha about her feelings, but it seemed that he had somehow tuned into her mindset and was now avoiding her like the plague. She had been taking walk to the well every so often, despite the rain, as if it would suddenly start spewing out answers. It had swallowed her backpack when she had thrown it in as a kind of test, but no matter how often she jumped in after it, the well would not let her pass. She had been visiting daily since then, hoping her bag would somehow come back to her. She still had an unopened envelope in there.

As she was standing there, bent over the lip and looking down, not caring about getting soaked, she noticed a source of youki coming at her at an alarming speed. Quickly glancing up, she saw Shippou breaking through the tree line, carrying something and looking frantic. She rushed towards him and paled when she realized what he was holding so protectively in his arms. As she reached out to touch Rin's forehead, Shippou snarled at her.

"Shippou, it's me, Kagome! I'm not going to hurt Rin!" she said softly, trying to calm him down.

"Kagome?" he asked, as if snapping out of a haze, "Kagome! It's Rin, she's-"he looked down at his young mate worriedly.

"Let's get her to my hut. We'll have her fixed up in no time!" she said with a confidence that she didn't feel.

They ran back to village, Shippou outstripping her quickly. When she got inside, he had already laid Rin down on one of the mats that occupied the floor. Kagome gasped at her figure.

"Shippou, she's…"

He had the decency to look embarrassed. On the ground before them, a heavily pregnant Rin moaned in pain. Setting aside her questions for later, Kagome switched to miko-business mode and started barking orders at the young man. After he had gathered all the cloths in the small hut and put a pot of water over the fire which he lighted with an impressive stream of fox fire, she sent him to go find InuYasha and tell him to inform Sesshoumaru about the situation. She was sure he would want to be there when his surrogate daughter became a mother.

Midnight found three men hovering anxiously around the hut. Shippou was pacing nervously and tried to peek into the window every now and then, only to be scolded by one of the women inside. InuYasha was up in a nearby tree, balking at having been sent to get his bastard of a brother like some sort of messenger boy. Sesshoumaru sat on a nearby rock, his calm demeanor not giving any hints of the storm that was raging through his mind.

Inside the hut, another storm was raging. Kagome had quickly discovered that giving birth to a hanyou baby was much, much harder than a normal human baby. She had helped Kaede with her share of births over the past years and was confident in her abilities, but nothing had prepared her for this. The baby seemed to be much bigger and Rin was passing in and out of consciousness. Sango was helping her, and Kaede had pitched in as well, but now the old miko was sagged against the side of the hut, fallen prey to exhaustion from the ordeal.

She didn't know how much more Rin's petite body could take. It was all taking too long. She had briefly considered attempting a C-section, but she had almost flunked her anatomy final in biology, and her hut wasn't exactly fit for operating in.

At Sango's horrified gasp, Kagome abandoned her post by Rin's shoulders and rushed over to the slayer. All hope faded the instant she saw a single, horribly blue little foot. Swallowing back her own desperate cry, she directed Sango to soothe Rin and try to get her to drink some more of the numbing tea Kaede had prepared earlier. There was nothing they would be able to do for the baby, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to do everything in her power to keep the mother alive.

Shippou knew before anyone had left the hut. With an anguished cry that went through the bone, he stormed into the hut. Sango tried to stop him, but he flung her aside with a swipe of his arm. The sight that met him made him week in the knees.

There was blood everywhere. Kagome was kneeling beside Rin – his mate -, tears streaming down her face. On his mate's chest was something wrapped in a cloth, shielded from the world. He stumbled over and lifted a corner of the fabric, his mind reeling.

"I'm so sorry, Shippou," Kagome whispered hoarsely as he cradled his stillborn infant, "we did everything we could…"

He gingerly placed the child –his child – back on his mate's unmoving chest, before turning his gaze at Kagome. She drew back at his red eyed glare.

"You," he hissed, before moving with a speed she had not known he possessed.

Grasping at his hands that were wringing her neck, Kagome chocked. She tried to plead with him, explain that she had done everything in her power, that she had never, ever wanted something like this to happen, but the air was not getting to her lungs properly and all she could to do was sputter as her vision started to recede. Just before the whole world went black, she heard someone scream her name and saw a red blur throw itself onto the desperate kitsune.

She crashed to the floor, greedily inhaling fresh air. In the hut, Kaede had woken up and was trying to make sense of it all, while InuYasha was fighting Shippou, trying to prevent him from getting to her.

"Kagome," he yelled between throwing punches, "get the fuck out of here!"

Stumbling out of the hut, Kagome understood why Shippou was attacking her. She was covered in the blood of his mate, his instincts were telling him that she was responsible for Rin's death. For once, she was thankful for the rain. It would wash away the smell of the young girls blood quick enough, and she could-

A low growl was her only warning before she was suspended from the neck once more, this time by a silver haired youkai rather than a red haired one.

"Sess- " she garbled through her constricting throat, "nothing…could…do…infant…already…dead" was all she could manage in a wheeze.

She stared as his glare slowly turned less red and he suddenly released her. Crumpling down into the mud, she rubbed her abused neck and tried to catch her breath. Suddenly, her head was craned back as Sesshoumaru pulled her hair back with a force that could have torn her scalp clean off. He brought his face down to hers, closer than she had ever seen it, in this time or hers.

In the most venomous, cold tone she had ever heard him use, he spoke to her.

"Leave. Do not ever show your face here again."

She did not waste another second and bolted for the well. She blinked the tears from her eyes as she ran from the village, ignoring the screams and animalistic sounds breaking the silence of the night behind her. She could not look back, would not look back – she knew that what she would see would break her.

Streaming into the clearing, thunder and lightning loosed themselves above her head. Vaulting over the edge, she screamed her heart out as the blue light she had been hoping for came up to cradle her and take her home.

Rain pattered on the roof of the well house. She could not see her hand before her eyes, but she would not have been able to see through her tears anyway. She felt around for the ladder that had been placed there for her convenience, recoiling her hand when it met unexpected fabric.

Realizing it must be her backpack, she pulled it into her lap and fumbled with the latch. As she dug around for her flashlight, her fingers brushed along some paper. Retrieving the envelope and the flashlight at the same time, she tore the envelope open and clicked the light on.

Inside was a single slip of paper, with a single line of handwriting. She rubbed her eyes on her sodden sleeves to clear them, only to burst into tears yet again as she read the message.

'I will be waiting'

A.N.: Still don't own anything. Next ons is the last one!


	8. Chapter 8

She didn't know how long she had been sitting on the bottom of the well, but when she finally got herself to climb up the ladder, day was breaking. As she stumbled towards the house, anger suddenly overcame her. She grabbed a bike that was parked against a wall and stormed down the shrine stairs. She didn't care about her appearance - bloody, muddy and puffy eyed -, she had to see Sesshoumaru.

The night watchman didn't stand a chance in stopping her. She rode the bike right in to the elevator, fuming as the electric box took her up. The bike was thrown against the wall beside his door as she started furiously pounding on the door.

"Sesshoumaru, open the door this instance! I know you're in there and I know you can hear me! Open the door! How dare you and Shippou blame me for her death! I did everything, no, WE did everything that we could! OPEN THE DOOR, SESSHOUMARU!"

The doorknob turned and the door slowly opened. Kagome started pushing it, all the while continuing her rant, but an unexpected shock of red hair stopped her dead in her tracks. She stepped back, a mixture of anger, compassion and fear swirling through her mind and across her face. Shippou was staring back, just as puffy eyed and dishelved as she was, minus the blood and mud.

"Shippou," she whispered.

"Kagome...," he answered, before catching her in a bone crushing hug, "it's their anniversary..."

She understood and her heart broke once again that night. Sesshoumaru found them standing in his doorway, crying on each other's shoulder. He quietly ushered them in and went to make tea.

It took some time for her and Shippou to calm down. Sesshoumaru patiently waited, sipping his tea. Kagome was the first of the two to come back to her senses. She dried her eyes and looked at the men in front of her.

"What happened after I left?" she asked hoarsely.

Shippou avoided her gaze. Sesshoumaru maintained his silence. It was enough of an answer for her.

"...InuYasha...he died fighting you...didn't he?" she whispered.

Shippou looked miserable when he nodded once. At her sharp intake of breath, he tried to explain.

"I didn't mean to... My instincts were... I couldn't control myself, Rin was dead, my son was dead. I'm so sorry, Kagome."

"Oh, Shippou," she fought back another wave of tears, "it wasn't your fault." She swallowed her tears before continuing. "Just like it wasn't my fault Rin died." Her voice was breaking by the end of the sentence.

Before Shippou could answer, Sesshoumaru spoke up. "We know."

"Then why-" she almost choked on her frustration.

"The pup had been dead for days," Sesshoumaru explained, ignoring the pained gasp from Shippou, "it could not be revived. Rin..." The moment he had to take to compose himself spoke volumes to Kagome. "She had already been revived by tenseiga once, and a second time by my mother."

"Third time's the charm when it comes to dying," Shippou said sardonically before tearing up again.

Kagome made to embrace him, but he got up and walked into the kitchen. She watched him go and then looked over at Sesshoumaru. She was afraid to ask, but she had to know.

"Did you try to revive him?"

He didn't need to ask her to know who she meant. "Yes."

"But it didn't..."

"No."

She nodded and got up. "I'm going home now. Please give me some time to..."

"I understand." It had been 500 years for them, but to her, it had only been five hours. He could only hope she could come to terms with what happened sooner than they had.

When she entered the kitchen, her mother only screamed for a second before taking it all in stride and directing her to the bathroom. After scrubbing her skin raw under the shower, Kagome thankfully submerged herself in the hot water of the bath. She knew she would have to mentally confront everything that had happened during the previous night, but right now, she couldn't think about it. If she did, she would start to cry again, and she was done with that for the rest of the day.

So when she got out of the bath, she told her mother she would explain everything, but not right now, because right now, she was in desperate need of some sleep.

A few weeks after she had returned, she got a call from Shippou. He wanted to speak to her in private before he left abroad again. She accepted, and told him to come to the shrine so they could talk there.

After much squealing from her mother of his seven tails, they went for a walk along the shrine grounds. The first few moments passed in a tense silence, which Kagome eventually broke.

"Do you always visit Sesshoumaru on their anniversary?"

Shippou smiled softly. "Yeah, or he visits me, wherever I am at that moment. I've lived all over the world, you know."

"Where are you going this time?"

He shrugged. "I haven't really decided yet. Back to Italy first, to take care of some last little things, and then I'll see where I want to go."

They arrived at the Goshinboku. Kagome gingerly touched the scar in the bark of the tree.

"How did it happen?" she asked softly.

Behind her, Shippou scuffed his feet along the dirt, working up the courage to talk about the thing that he was ashamed of the most.

"…after you left, after In- he had sent you away, my anger focused solely on him. In my mind, he had prevented me from taking vengeance on the one that had killed my mate."

"I didn't kill her, Shippou."

"I know, Kagome. I mean, I know that now, but then, at that moment, there wasn't a rational thought in my mind. My mate was dead, my son was dead, and seeing you covered in her blood had convinced my instincts that you were responsible."

They were silent for a while, staring up at the leaves of the giant tree. They were starting to turn into the colors of autumn, and Kagome realized she would be 24 soon. She felt so much older.

"So you fought InuYasha," she prompted.

"Yeah. Sango later told she tried to separate us, but that I would not listen to reason. Somewhere during the fight, InuY- he lost tetsusaiga, and we were swiping our claws at each other. I don't know how it actually happened, but I must've…" he swallowed thickly, and stared at the ground, "I must've somehow swiped him across the throat. He-"

"Say his name, Shippou," she softly, a touch of ice in her tone.

He stared at her bewilderedly, before continuing. "InuYasha went to his knees, blood streaming down his chest. He was gurgling horribly, I will never forget that sound. Sango had run over to try and staunch the blood flow, but it was too late. I had come back to my senses before he slumped over, and caught him before he met the ground. Sango was screaming at me, but I hardly heard her. All I heard were his last words."

Kagome was crying freely now, and choked out her question. "What did he say?"

Shippou looked at her, eyes free from tears. "Tell Kagome to move on."

He left soon after that. They had assured each other that they did not blame the other for anything that had happened and hugged it out. Kagome made him promise to write to her from wherever he would end up, or invite her over some time. He grinned and said that she would have to take that up with Sesshoumaru. She waved him down the stairs, wondering what he meant with his last comment.

She had begged her mother not to go all out, but it had been to no avail. Exuberant that her daughter had come home in time for her birthday, Miss Higurashi had prepared an array of dishes that would likely feed them the coming week. Kagome helped her grandfather to the table before sitting across from Souta and his girlfriend. While they were really cute together, Kagome could not help but be reminded of Shippou and Rin and wished Souta had not insisted on inviting her. She put up a brave face, however, and as diner progressed, they were all chatting happily over the various courses.

Just as they were about the cut the cake, there was a knock on the door. With a knowing look, Miss Higurashi sent her daughter to open it. Kagome grumbled as the sweet taste of cake would be delayed and got up to send whoever dared keep her from her cake away as quickly as she could.

"Yeah, how can I help you?" she asked irritably as she swung the door open.

"Am I interrupting, Miko?" he asked smoothly, raised eyebrow in place.

"Sesshoumaru!" she breathed and stepped outside, closing the door behind her with a bang. She loved her mother to pieces, but she was just too nosy for her own good.

She then found herself nose to chest with the tall youkai, who had yet to step back in answer of her stepping forward. She blushed when he didn't, and skirted around him into the shrine yard. While she tried to stomp down the butterflies in her stomach, she looked up at him in what she hoped was a cocky manner.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

His eyebrow was raised a bit higher. "You have been avoiding me," he stated accusingly.

She feigned outrage, but she knew he was right. She had not answered his calls or email, simply because she didn't quite know what to say to him. When she had last seen him, not counting the time she had barged into his apartment covered in the blood of his ward, he had confessed his love for her. His note had said that he would be waiting, but had he really waited for six years? For her?

Besides, she still wasn't sure how she felt about him. She had been in love with InuYasha for so long, thinking that he was going to be the only one for her. But their relationship had been fizzling out towards the end, at least from her side, and now he was gone for good. And hadn't he told her to move on?

"I may have been avoiding you, but you are avoiding the question. What are you doing here?"

Sesshoumaru was stalking closer to her, a predatory look in his eyes. She started to back away.

"Isn't it your birthday?"

She nodded as she backed herself against the wall of the well house. Her heart was beating through her chest as he stepped so close she had to crane her head back to keep eye contact with him. Was it her imagination, or was he slowly bending down to her?

"Sesshoumaru, wait-"

"I've waited long enough," he said with a slight growl, before capturing her lips with his.

His kiss was hungry and demanding, as if he wanted to make up for the all the time he had lost. Kagome couldn't find it in herself to refuse him and threw her arms around his neck. When he finally released her, she had to hold onto him for support. With a sudden clarity, she found she knew exactly how she felt about him.

"Happy birthday, Kagome," he said softly, bending down again.

She gladly met him halfway. 

A.N.: Still don't own anything.


End file.
